Firearm



May 25, 1937. N s

HILLYARD 2,081,235

FIREARM Filed Oct. 8, 1934 INVENTOR Patented May 25, 1937 UNITE Claims.

This invention relates to rearms and more particularly to a cartridgemagazine for use in automatic riiies of the type wherein the cartridgereceptacle is located in the rear of and below the `5 entrance to thegun chamber and which is ordinarily loaded with the aid of a charger orby inserting the cartridges one at a time through the shell dischargeopening of the rifle.

Owing to the high velocity and shooting power of this type of rifle,together with ease of operation and manoeuvring ability, peace officershave found them more effective in present day bandit warfare than othertypes of firearms; however, due to the extremely slow method of loading,the rifles are practically useless after the cartridge receptacle hasbecome emptied. Another disadvantage is that rifles of this characterare ordinarily constructed to contain no more than five or sixcartridges due to the fact that the cartridges are likely to jam whenthey are being swept out of the charger into the gun.

For these reasons rifles have given way to lower power type of iirearms,such as machine, sub-machine and like guns which are adapted to containgreater amounts of ammunition.

The principal objects of the present invention are, therefore, toprovide a cartridge magazine of greater capacity which may besubstituted for the conventional cartridge receptacle and which may bereadily removed when empty and replaced with a similar lled magazine sothat the fire may be substantially continuous.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a magazine soshaped that the cartridges are automatically moved to ring positionwithout danger of jamming.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, ashereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure,the preferred Vform of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic rifle equipped with acartridge magazine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the breech portionof the rie and showing the cartridge magazine in position for feedingthe cartridges into the ring chamber.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the cartridge magazine as itappears when removed from the rifle.

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the upper portion of the magazine onthe line 4 5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the magazine on the line 5--5,Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the elevator plate for supportingthe cartridges.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates an automatic rifle including a breech housing 2, shoulderand hand stocks 3 and 5 4, and a barrel jacket 5 in which is slidablymounted a gun barrel 6.

The breech housing 2 includes a ring chamber I in which is reciprocablymounted a breech block 8 movable to and from the breech end 9 of the 1obarrel in firing of the rie. Formed in the breech housing below thefiring chamber 'I is a recess I which normally connects with areceptacle for containing cartridges which are inserted through theshell discharge opening II in the top of the 15 firing chamber.

In the present invention, however, the cartridge receptacle is removedand replaced with a Cartridge magazine embodying the features of thepresent invention. The magazine is best illus- 20 trated in Figs. 3 to5, inclusive, and includes spaced arcuate side plates I2 and I3 havingtheir side edges connected by arcuate shaped walls I4 and I5 lto form asubstantially arcuate shaped cartridge chamber I6 having its bottomclosed by 25 an end plate I1. The cartridge chamber I6 is of suiicientlength and width to accommodate standard size cartridges I8 which aremoved through the open top I9 of the magazine into the ring chamber uponactuation of the breech block 30 as later described.

Owing to the fact that the cartridges I8 are of tapered formation, theside plates I2 and I3 are provided on their inner surfaces adjacent theneck portions of the cartridges with arcuate ribs 35 2| and 22 forcooperating with the rear inner faces of the plates I2 and I3 to retainthe cartridges in central position in the chamber I5 as best illustratedin Fig. 5.

The arcuate wall I5 is preferably concave on 40 its inner face asindicated at 23 to form a guide for the rounded nose of the cartridgebullet 24.

In order to support the cartridges for movement into the ring chamber,the magazine is provided with an elevator or follower plate 25 45 whichconforms in shape toy the interior of the chamber I6 and has notchedportions 26 and 21 for slidably engaging the guide ribs 2i and 22 andflanged ends 28 and 29 for slidably engaging the inner face of the sidewalls I4 and 50 I5 as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The elevator plate isnormally urged into engagement with the cartridges by means of a springelement 30 composed of reversely curved hat spring leaves 3| and 32riveted together at their ends as at 55 Cil 33 and 34 to the respective`ends of adjacent leaves and thereby forming an accordion shaped springof suicient length to support the plate 25 at the open end of themagazine when empty of shells. To frictionally retain the cartridgeswithin the chamber against tension of the spring element 35, while themagazine is being inserted in the rifle, the upper edges of the plateare curved inwardly as at 35 and 3I to yieldingly engage the sideedgesof the upper-most cartridge as best shown in Fig. 4.

InV order to releasingly secure the magazine within the breech housing,the upper Yend of the side wall I is provided with an outwardlyextending lug portion 4D which forms a shoulder 4I .adapted to engage orhook into a corresponding shoulder 42 that is provided on the breechhousing, as shown in Fig. 2. W

The upper rear portions of the side plates I2 and I3 project beyond thewall I4 to form ears 43 and 44 between which is pivotally mounted alatch member 45. 'Ihe latch member 45 includes a triangular shaped head46 that is pivoted between the ears on a pin 4'I and carries a dependinglever 48 oiset from the rear face 49 of the head portion to form adetent 50 adapted to engage in a notch 5I thatv is located in the breechhousing in alignment with the trigger guard 52. The latch is ordinarilyretained in latched position by-a coil spring 53 having one end bearingover a boss 54 formed on the arcuate wall I4 and its other end bearingagainst a similar boss on the latch 45, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The upper end of the arcuate walls I4 and I5 are notched, as at 56 and51, so that a guide rib 58 on the breech block moves through the upperend of the vmagazine in propelling engagement with the rear end of theuppermost cartridge to move the cartridge through the ring chamber andinto the breech of the gun barrel.

In using a magazine constructed as described, the magazines are lledwith cartridges by inserting the cartridges through the open end thereofand pressing them past the inturned lip portions 36 and 31 to depressthe elevator plate against tension of its spring 30.

When Ythe magazine is filled, the upper end of the magazine is insertedthrough the opening in the recess ID so that the shoulder 40 Yon themagazine engages over the shoulder 4I of the breech housing, after whichthe lower end of the magazine is moved toward the trigger guard to causethe latch 45 thereon to engage the shoulder 5I under influence of thecoil spring 53. The magazine is then rmly anchored in position so thatthe uppermost cartridge is in position to be engaged by the guide rib onthe breech block.

When the breech Vblock is moved from cocked position toward the breechof the barrel, the upper cartridge is moved thereby so that the bulletend thereof moves upwardly over the curved portion of the barrel intothe breech 9. When the end of the breech block eng-ages the barrel it isautomatically latched thereto and the rifle is ready for firing.

Upon gripping the trigger 60, the firing mechanism will be actuated toexplode the cartridge for propelling the bullet 24 through the barrel.Upon recoil, the breech block is moved retractively, carrying the barreltherewith, so that the next shell in the magazine is retained indepressed position. At the end of the recoil, the breech block isrecocked for another operation and the barrel is released for effectingthrow-out of the empty shell and its return to normal position.

lower end of the magazine is then moved for ywardly with the shoulder 40pivoting on the y, shoulder 4i until the upper end of the magazine hascleared the lower portion of the trigger guard.

The shoulder 40 of the magazine may then be unhooked from the shoulder4I completing the release of the magazine.

A filled magazine may then bev readily inv serted in place of theVempty` magazine so that the rifle is again in condition for firing witha minimum loss of time between the removal of the empty magazine andinsertion of the lled magazine.

What I claim and desire to secure by LettersV Patent is:

1. In a rearm including a barrel having a cartridge chamber, a breechhousing having a recess through which cartridges are moved into thecartridge chamber and provided with shoulder portions on opposite sidesof the recess, an arcuate shaped cartridge magazine having a shoulderportion at one arcuate side thereof adapted tovinterengage one of saidshoulder portions of the breech housing, a pair of spaced ears on theopposite arcuate side ofthe magazine, a latch having its upper endpivoted between said ears, a tongue on the lower end of the latch forreleasing the latch, and means for yieldingly retaining the latch inengagement Withthe other of said shoulder portions of 'the breechhousing.

2. A cartridge magazine of the character described having means at oneside thereof adapted to engage in a portion of a breech housing of arearm, a pair-of spaced ears on the opposite side of the magazine, alatch having its upper end pivoted between said ears, a tongue on thelower end of the latch for releasing the latch,

and means for yieldinglyl retaining the latch in engagement with anotherportion of the breech housing of said rearm.

3. A 'cartridge magazine of the character described having means at oneside thereof adapted to engage in a portion Vof a Vbreech housing of arearm, a pair of spaced ears on the opposite side of the magazine, alatch having its upper end pivoted between said ears, a tongue on thelower end of the latch for'releasing the latch, means for yieldinglyretaining ,the latch in engagement with another portion of the breechhousing of said firearm, and means in the magazine for moving cartridgestherein to the breech housing 0f said rearm.

4. In a firearm including a barrel having a cartridge chamber, a breechhousing having a recess through which cartridges are moved into thecartridge chamber and provided With shoulder `portions on opposite sidesof the recess, a cartridge magazine having a shoulder portion at oneside thereof adapted to interengage one of said shoulder portions of thebreech housing, a

pair of spaced ears on the opposite side of the for yieldingly retainingthe latch in engagement with the other of said shoulder portions of thebreech housing.

5. In a iirearm including a barrel having a cartridge chamber, a breechhousing having a recess through which cartridges are moved into thecartridge chamber and provided with shoulder portions on opposite sidesof the recess, an arcuate shaped cartridge magazine having a shoulderportion at one arcuate side thereof adapted to interengage one of saidshoulder portions of the breech housing, means in said magazine formoving cartridges therein to said cartridge chamber, a pair of spacedears on the opposite arcuate side of the magazine, a latch having itsupper end pivoted between said ears, a tongue on the lower end of thelatch for releasing the latch, and means for yieldingly retaining thelatch in engagement with the other of said shoulder portions o-f thebreech housing.

NEWTON S. HILLYARD.

